Self-threading shuttle



J. NORTH'RGPv SELF THREADING SHUTTLE .Fuly 22 1924. 1,502,397

Filed Oct. 28, 1919 Patented July 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1 1,502,397 PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS NORTHROP, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO. HOPEDALE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SELF-THREADING SHUTTLE.

Application filed October 28, 1919. Serial No. 333,879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONAS NORTHROP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hopedale, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self- Threading Shuttles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in self-threading shuttlcs for weft replenishing looms and more particularly to an improvement in thread blocks for such shuttles.

One object of the invention is to provide a self-threading shuttle of novel and im' proved construction particularly adapted to facilitate the threading operation and to render the same positive. and efiicient.

To these and such other ends as may appear, the invention consists in the selfthreading shuttle hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 represents in elevation a portion of a self-threading shuttle with a part brokenaway to show the improved construction of thread block; Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the thread block; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an outer end view of the thread block; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the thread block. The illustrated embodiment of the invention is described as follows: The shuttle body 10 is provided with a central chamber or opening 12 in which a filling carrier 13 is received and held in the usual way. The shuttle body 10 is also provided with a delivery eye 14 in the front wall thereof and with a thread block 15 whose function is to conduct the thread from the filling carrier 13 into and through the delivery eye 14.

The thread block 15 is provided with a longitudinal thread passage 16 and with means for guiding the filling or thread from the longitudinal thread passage 16 into and throu h the delivery eye 14 of the shuttle, inclu ing a shield member 17 and an improved beak 18 and horn 19 the construction of which will be describedin detail. The construction and function of the portions of the thread block with the exception of the improved beak and horn are well-known and familiar to those skilled in the art.

The shield member 17 is formed at the outer end of one wall of the longitudinal thread passage 16, and the beak 18 and horn 19 are formed upon the outer end of the opposing wall of the longitudinal thread passage. The beak 18 extends outwardly and downwardly under the shield member 17 terminating in a thickened end or tip which overhangs the outer end of the longi tudinal thread passage. The upper surface of the beak 18 is spaced apart from the under surface of the shield 17 thus forming an opening through which the thread may pass at the start of the threading operation. The under surface of the beak 18 is made flat and is inclined upwardly from the tip of the beak and is arranged to. cooperate with a flat surface 22 of the horn 19, to form a V-shaped notch 20. The horn 19 extends downwardly from the beak 18 to near the bottom of the longitudinal thread passage 16, being spaced sufliciently distant therefrom to permit the passage of the thread underneath the end of the horn and into the delivery eye of the shuttle.

At the start of the threading operation the filling or thread extends from the bobbin longitudinally over the top (if the thread block 15, the free end of the filling being secured to the hopper stud or other fixed part of the loom. As the shuttle starts on its first pick, the filling passes down into the longitudinal thread passage 16 and simultaneously through the opening between the shield 17 and upper surface of the beak 18. Continued movement of the shuttle to the other side of the loom draws the thread over the thickened end or tip 21 of the beak 18 and against the flat surface 22 of the horn 19. On the first return pick of the shuttle, the thread draws around the horn 19 and is deflected beneath the same into the delivery eye passage 23 and through the delivery eye 14 completing the threading operation.

In other types of shuttles, the construction of beak and shield is generally such that t e thread may esca e by upward and inwar movement from eneath the shield and beak on the second pick of the shuttle after replenishment, by reason of the fact that the thread is led directly over the o ing between the beak and shield an is, therefore, liable to escape therethrough.

Attempts have been made to prevent the escape of the thread in this manner by constructing the beak so as to extend for considerable distance under the shield and in close proximity thereto, but such alterations in the direction of extension of the beak have rendered the threading operation more difiicultso that under some conditions of use they have not been very successful. Other attempts have been directed to the provision of controlling means located at the inner end of the thread passage, designed to control the course of the thread after it has esca ed from beneath the shield and beak, an to thereby prevent thread breakage and dethreading of the shuttle.

To eliminate these various disadvantages inherent in other types of shuttles, the present invention contemplates a beak and horn of such construction as to enable the thread to draw directly to the shed in the event that the thread should not enter the delivery eye thread passage 23- on the first few icks of the shuttle after replenishment.

he beak is constructed and arranged so that any tendency of the fillinglto pass 11 wardly between the beak and s ield will be prevented by contact of the filling with the thickened tip 21 and under surface of the beak whereby it is uided into the V-shaped notch 20, which ho ds the thread away from the opening between the beak and shield and tends to guide it down into the eye. As a result of this construction, once the thread has, assed between the shield and beak it is con ed below the beak in such manner that breakage thereof is prevented and dethreading of the shuttle is almost entirely elimi nated.

By providing the beak 18 with a thickened end of dull-chisel shaped form, arranged to overhang the outer end of the longitudinal thread passage 16 it has been found that the threading operation is facilitated and that the escapement of the thread from beneath the beak and shield by upward and inward movement is almost entirely eliminated.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A self-threading shuttle having, in combination, a body portion provided with a delivery eye, a thread block having a de pending horn and a thickened beak adjacent to the horn and provided with a short depending thickened tip, the beak andhorn being constructed and arranged to enga e the thread on the first pick of the shutt e and to retain it against u ward motion.

2. A self-threading s uttle having, in combination, a body portion provided with a delivery eye, a thread block having a longitudinal thread passage, and means for guiding the thread to the delivery eye of the shuttle including a shield, a depending horn and a beak adjacent to the horn provided with a short de endin thickened tip, the adjacent end sur aces o the beak and horn forming a V-shaped groove within which the thread is engaged to prevent dethreading of the shutt JONAS N ORTHROP. 

